Discover the essential steps and insights for filing an annual report in Louisiana. Navigate through our detailed guide below to ensure your business remains in good standing and compliant with state requirements.
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Starts at $0 + state fees and only takes 5-10 minutes
You’ve made it through the first year of running your own small business, and now it’s time to file your Louisiana annual report. The state requires you to file this every year to keep your Louisiana limited liability company (LLC) or corporation in good standing.
It’s good to know the ins and outs of what annual reports are, why the state needs one, and how you can take care of your yearly filing. And in this guide, we’ll provide you with the information you need to handle yours.
For a Louisiana business entity, an annual report is a simple filing of basic contact information, location, and officer details.
Once filed with the Louisiana Secretary of State, an annual report confirms current information for your business. Louisiana may also use it to track data about businesses and industries throughout the Bayou State, as well as which companies remain active and which have lapsed.
Your annual report is not a tax document. However, the information in your annual report may also be used by the Louisiana Department of Revenue as part of its tracking and determinations for business taxes.
It’s also a chance for you to officially record any crucial changes to your business, such as a change in your company’s mailing address or principal location, or if you switched registered agents.
To file your annual report, start with signing in or creating your online account at Louisiana’s “Geaux Biz” online business hub.
Both LLCs and corporations need to file annual reports in Louisiana. Both kinds of entities need to submit the same information for their reports. Whether your company is a domestic (in-state) corporation or LLC, or a foreign (out-of-state) corporation or LLC, you’ll still log the same basic details with the state.
You must file your annual report on time each year. Businesses can file in many ways.
Filing online at geauxbiz.sos.la.gov is the fastest way to do this. You’ll need to be ready to pay online with a credit card as well. This is the state’s preferred method.
Follow these steps to file by mail:
To update any information (such as your registered office address, mailing address, or registered agent), cross out the old information and clearly write in the new information. Note: If changing your registered agent, the new registered agent must sign the annual report, and the report needs to be notarized before filing.
Mail the signed, updated, and completed annual report, along with your $30 filing fee to the Commercial Division of the Secretary of State.
Follow the mailing instructions above. Also prepare a cover letter or cover sheet that includes the following details:
Once you have your documents in order, fax them to the Secretary of State, Commercial Division.
Remember: Annual reports are publicly available and may be viewed by anyone searching your business.
Your annual report doesn’t have to take over your workday, but you don’t want to let it slide, either. Meeting this filing deadline is important to the ongoing operation and official state recognition of your business.
Your annual report’s due date is the same calendar date that the state officially approved your entity.
For example, if you formed your company on November 12, 2020, your annual report is due every subsequent year by November 12.
You can file your annual report anytime in the 30 days leading up to the deadline.
If your entity goes three consecutive years without filing an annual report, Louisiana will dissolve your business, stripping your company of the rights and legal protections it carried before.
The cost to file your annual report is $30 (or $10 for nonprofits). You can make your payment via credit card, or via a check or money order made out to “Louisiana Secretary of State.” A $5 “convenience fee” is added to credit card payments.
Your annual report needs to include the following current information:
If you’re completing a printed annual report for mailing or faxing, include the original signature, name, and title for the authorizing signing party.
If you file your annual report online, you may receive an email confirmation of processing in as little as 15 minutes.
Faxed or mailed annual reports may be processed in up to two business days. The state doesn’t send confirmation that your report is complete. You can check your geauxbiz account to see when a copy of your annual report is available under “Amendments on File” with your company’s profile.
Remember, your corporation or LLC’s annual report is due every year by the calendar date your company was officially formed. Companies aren’t allowed to skip a year, even if there are no changes in your business information.
If you miss your filing deadline, Louisiana doesn’t assess a late fee or penalty, but it’s still recommended to get your filing in as soon as possible.
Until your filing is complete, the state will report your company as “not in good standing,” which can potentially make it harder to do business or get financing. Plus, three years of failing to file will also get your company’s business structure dissolved by the state.
While you’ll still be able to do business, you’ll lose your corporate or LLC-based liability protections. You can reinstate a Louisiana company by filing a reinstatement form with the Secretary of State and paying a fee.
If there’s a problem with filing your report, the Secretary of State office will email you so you can resolve any issues and try again. Any payments won’t be processed until your filing is successfully completed.
If you have issues filing your report, contact the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Commercial Division
You can also seek assistance in person at the Secretary of State offices.
If your business changes registered agents or principal locations, you can complete and submit the appropriate change form for your LLC or corporation. Changes to these details can also be made as part of your annual report filing process.
For nonprofits, the filing fee is $10. For all other required entities, the filing fee is $30. A separate $5 convenience fee also applies to credit card payments.
If you miss your filing deadline, Louisiana doesn’t assess any late fees or penalties. However, the state will list your business as “not in good standing.” Additionally, if your company fails to file its annual report for three years in a row, Louisiana will dissolve your business, which strips your business of the rights and legal protections that the state provides your entity.
After three years of failing to file annual reports, Louisiana will dissolve your business. If this happens, your company would no longer exist in the eyes of the state.
If your business is closing, contact the Secretary of State to verify reporting requirements at (225) 925-4704, or submit a support ticket online.
This can vary depending on how organized your information is, and whether you are filing online or via mail or fax. The first time you file, estimate up to an hour to gather the information you need, complete the online or paper form, prepare your payment, and submit the payment and completed report. Subsequent filings can take less time, especially in years where you don’t need to report any changes to your information. In years where you need to update company details, allow extra time for updating addresses or officers. If updating your registered agent, remember to arrange a time with the new agent so they can sign the annual report as well, to confirm that the change is accurate.
If completing a paper form for faxing or mailing, the party filing the report will need to sign the document and include their name, title, and other information requested on the form. If filing online, follow the online instructions for any verification needed prior to submitting your completed annual report.
An authorized party must file your Louisiana annual report. This could include any business owner or member of the organization. For LLCs, if a member is responsible for filing the annual report, you could specify this duty, and who’s in charge of it, as part of the operating agreement.
Yes. When filing your Articles of Organization for your LLC, you’ll also need to file an initial report. Initial reports must be completed and filed along with the Articles of Organization (both documents are available in a combined PDF). For corporations, details for your company’s initial registered office, principal office, registered agent, and directors are included as part of completing your Articles of Incorporation.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Written by Team ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness has helped people start, run, and grow over 700,000 dream companies. The editorial team at ZenBusiness has over 20 years of collective small business publishing experience and is composed of business formation experts who are dedicated to empowering and educating entrepreneurs about owning a company.
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